Adventist News Network®

The official news service of the Seventh-day Adventist world church

Camp for young men held by Adventist Church in Novosibirsk

Jun 11, 2018|Moscow, Russia|Alexander Kiselev

[Photo courtesy of Euro-Asia Division]

The fifth-annual Camp Sibiryaki for young men, aged 13-17, was recently held in Novosibirsk. Participants from Kemerovo, Barnaul, Topchikhi, Kamen-na-Obi, Novoaltaysk and Novosibirsk came together to not only learn to communicate better, but also to develop in different areas.

Healthy lifestyle was heavily emphasized during the camp. Early each morning, the boys participated in an exercise routine including running, pull-ups, push-ups, squats and other activities.

Physical health was not the only emphasis, however. Spiritual mentor Andrei Bykov presented relevant daily topics: the element of choice, acceptance of responsibility, the essence of masculinity and much more. The boys were separated into groups with a counselor for each group. They discussed lessons from the lives of different Bible heroes, and how to apply these lessons to their own lives.

The boys brought up questions regarding pornography and principles of a healthy lifestyle. They were interested to know how to assess the impact that today's society has on the younger generation and how to set priorities on biblical principles.

One of the highlights of the camp was the climbing wall, where the boys could test their physical strength. Here are some of the reactions from recent camp guests:

Eugene from Novosibirsk comments, "I really appreciated this camp. It helped me prioritize, brought me closer to God, gave me new acquaintances and a sea of ​​emotions!"

Barnual resident Alexei says, "I liked all the events very much. I could not even imagine that it would be so cool."

Maxim from Topchikha also liked the camp very much. "It was fun and interesting. I mostly liked the food. I remember the trip to the climbing wall. It was great!”

The greatest joy for the camp team, however, came at the end of the closing sermon when eight young men chose to dedicate their lives to Jesus Christ. They continue to pray for the young men who attended Camp Sibiryaki, that they will be brought closer to Jesus, and will receive support from their local pastors as they seek to minister to their peers.